There is a need for new sources of energy. Biofuels have been touted as possible replacements for fossil fuels such as coal and oil. For example, millions of dollars have been invested in developing technologies for the production of ethanol from corn and other kinds of plants. However, ethanol can be expensive to produce and is not an ideal fuel for many applications.
Disposing of solid waste is another problem faced by many municipalities and other government authorities. Waste polysaccharides, such as cellulose fibers from waste paper, are for various reasons, often excluded from recycling programs. This leads to the accumulation of waste in landfills. Incineration of raw garbage is increasingly being considered as landfill sites are becoming full. However, incineration can be polluting and has faced public opposition in many places. Schemes to convert garbage into ethanol or other liquid fuels have been proposed. However, as noted above, ethanol is not an ideal fuel for many applications.
5-hydroxymethyl-furfural, also known as 5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-carbaldehyde or 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furaldehyde (HMF) has many industrial and commercial uses. HMF can be used as a precursor in many polymerization reactions. HMF can also be used to produce surfactants, solvents, pharmaceuticals and fungicides.
HMF can be produced from the dehydration of a carbohydrate. However, reaction conditions used in the prior art favor the subsequent conversion of HMF to by-products such as levulinic acid and formic acid, so the yield of HMF is often low. Competing side reactions that yield humins may also reduce the yield of HMF.
Some publications in the field of converting garbage to fuels include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,252,691; 3,473,494; 3,584,587; 3,961,913; 4,152,119; 4,225,457; 4,496,365; 4,661,119; 5,100,066; 5,429,645; 5,431,702; 5,562,743; 5,779,164; 5,888,256; 6,113,662; 6,506,223.
There is a need for cost-effective and environmentally friendly ways to address the above issues individually or collectively.